The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-01
OUR CHARTER.
TEXT OF THE AMENDED BILL.
ITS Progress Within Two Weeks From the Board Of
Trade to the Governors Hand Our Friends
This Legislature
TALLAHASSEE, May 80.

| The closing hours OF tine LegtS-
lature are replete with interest, and
bills are being rapidly rushed through
| Palatka is considered ''behind the times
| here because it seems to be about the
only city of its size in the State which
| has not asked for an appropriation That,
however, as we urge, may be taken as
| evidence that we rely entirely ON our
| selves and our natural advantages for
our future, and that we can afford indie
pendence of special legislation for help.
| The Board of Trade, if properly sup
ported, will give Us far more than any
| legislation could do. and we need not
contest for position in such a race with
our sister cities, which have often seemed
both persistent and greedy.
Ocala made "a vigorous fight for return
of her appropriation to the East Florida
Seminary which had already been pre-
riousIy returned, and her demands were
ably and justly withstood by our repre-
sentative in the House. MIR. Hind, who
finally consented to give her $5,4OO I'M
stead of S14 800 as claimed. (THE Pa
LATKA NEWS mixed the types when it
gave her $J4 ,000.( But even this smaller
sum must be devoted to school purposes,
SO that all parties should be satisfied.
MIR. Hind, in this and many other mat
tiers in which he has taken a leading
part, has made a record of which we can
all be proud, and he is thoroughly res
pected and liked by his colleagues of
both parties He has made us an indus
trious, able and energetic representative
and, save by an occasional bit of good
natured sarcasm, he has aroused no an
tagonism from the ''BourbOns" who, he
feared, would fight him ON political
grounds.
THE PALATKA CHARTER.
But Palatka is nearest interested in her
new charter. Despite the full exposition
made in these columns, the ellis instru-
ment had passed the Senate and was
subject to call in a committee of the
House, before it had received serious
consideration from our business men.
Members of the Board of Trade took the
matter up and a draft of amendments
were hastily made and referred to our
representatives. But the ellis charter
had received the endorsement of our
| Council and MIR. Hind, although giving
| great weight to the wishes of the Board
of Trade, very properly desired to hear
again from our aldermen before making
the radical amendments proposed These
We're promptly given by letter, from
four out of five members of the Council,
as shown by the following:
| PALATKA, FLA.
Hon THos. HIND:
| DEAR SIR-We, the undersigned mem
bers of the Council of the City of Pa
| Iatka. do hereby endorse the enclosed
| amendments to- the charter of the city of
Palatka now before your honorable
body, and do hereby earnestly request
your assistance in procuring the passage
of said bill as herein amended.
! Yours respectfully,
| WIN. F. FORWARD,
| MARCUS LOEB,
| w. III. PARKER,
r. N. WILSON.
This, with endorsements of business
men already received, satisfied MIR. Hind
as to the wishes of our people, and h,
Immediately went to work earnestly
and ably to secure the passage of TIN
amendments. Hon. w. b. Lamar, oi
jefferson, leader of the Democrats in
the House, postponed private business
for our benefit and used his influence t.
obviate any objections and prevent any
dilatory motions which might easily
have killed the matter in the present
I
this he, as well as Mr.. Hind. is entitled
to the gratitude of our people.
The House journal shows the rest:
Mr.. Lamar offered the following
amendment:
Amend by striking out all after tn,
enacting clause, and insert the following
in lieu of all the sections of the bill:
SECTION 1. That within fourteen day
after this act becomes law, the Cit.
Council of the city of Palatka shall di
vide the said city into four wards. an,
, shall make record thereof and declar
and publish the same in some newspape
published in said city for the space q
; ten days, and thereafter all voters within
/ said wards respectively shall be allowe,
, To vote at all municipal elections only i
the wards where they reside. TIL
Mayor shall appoint three inspectors q
| iot III tiiC Sstiiit IiistI
| ner in which inspectors are now al
, pointed for city elections.
SEC. 2. That at the next annual elet
ton to be held in said city. there shall b
: chosen two aldermen from each ware
and the voters of each ward shall vot
only for two aldermen from their ward
respectively, and the aldermen so chose
shall be residents of the wards froI
: which they are elected. At the sam
1 time there shall be chosen by all the v,
: | tiers of said city, one alderman at large
to be voted for by all the voters withou
regard to wards. OF the alderme
t elected by the several wards at the firs
r election under this act. the one receivin
~ the highest vote in each ward shall hol
!, his office for the term of two years, am
u the one receiving the next highest sha
: hold his office for the term of one veal
( and ut all subsequent annual election
i there shall be chosen one alderman fl
each ward who shall hold his office fl
the two years. The aldermen at larg
4 shall be elected annually, and shall hol
I office for one year. The aldermen 5
!, elected shall constitute the City Counc
of said city.
n SEC. 3. There shall be City Marsh;
v who shall be appointed by the Mayo
= and confirmed by the City Council. ii
shall receive a salary of nine hundre
$4,000 dollars per annum. payable &
such time and in such manner as tn
Council may determine. The Marshs
SO appointed may he removed or su,
D pended, for proper cause. at the pleasur